Shoe heel



April 29, 1947- n J. H. BUECHLER I 2,419,670

SHOE HEEL Filed April A5, 1946 Patented Apr. 29, 1947 3 Claims. l

My invention relates to an improvement in a shoe heel of rubber,leather, or any material that can be used for a shoe heel, and theobject of my improvement is to provide an invertible, as well asrotating, wearing part of a heel to aiord longer wear before replacingwith new heels. I attain this object by means illustrated in thefollowing drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the entire heel assembly.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a cup-shaped pilot.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View through the diameter 3-3 of the invertiblering. In this drawing a rubber ring is used.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through 4-4 in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 the invertible ring is indicated by I I, the cup-shaped pilotwith its open end adjacent to and secured to the shoe is shown by I2,the stationary part of a shoe heel by I4, and I3 indicates the remainingpart of the heel that coinpletes the shape of an ordinary rubber heel.As said before other heel material can be used instead of rubber forthis invertible ring.

In Fig. 2 the wall of the pilot is indicated by I5, the height of whichdoes not exceed the thickness of the invertible ring II, this wallhaving pairs f parallel circumferential slits I6 which converge to forman angle at one end of a tongue I l. These slits I6 are to be positionedso that the distance from the tip of the angle I8 to the open end of thepilot I2, is less than one half of the thickness of the invertible ringI I, .the reason for which will be given later in this specication. Thisfree end of the tongue I'I is bent to form the angular iin I8 projectingoutwardly and radially. This cup pilot I2 is made of thin spring steelor other resilient material so thatns I8 will yield inwardly by a slightpressure and come back again when the pressure is removed, the purposeof which will be revealed later in this specification. This illustratesone of the obviously diierent Ways to form a yielding projection fromthe wall of a pilot attached to a shoe.

In Fig. 3 number I9 is a sleeve, or lining, of metal or other firmmaterial inside the hole of the rubber ring, and '20 is an insidecircumferential angular groove formed midway of the length of saidsleeve to receive the n or projection I8 which has a similarly angularcontour. Number 2| is an outside flange formed on the sleeve midway ofits length, 22 is the ange of rubber which is vulcanized, or otherwisemechanically held to the sleeve I9 and flange 2l. Other materials ofcourse can be used instead of rubber.

In Fig. 4 the sectional view through 4-4 of ring II shows the angularprojection I8 in the similarly angular ring groove 20 resting on theside of the groove which happens to be nearest to the shoe heel I4. 2-4is a nail holding the pilot I2 to the shoe heel I 4.

When the invertible ring II and the rear edge of a shoe heel I4 areplaced together so that the radii of both coincide and the pilot I 2placed into the ring hole with the open end adjacent to the shoe heel I4and nailed through the hole 23, or otherwise secured to the shoe heel.and part I3 is also secured to the shoe heel, the assembly is complete.

To'invert or rotate, the ring II can be removed with the aid of a thinblade or kitchen knife to pry the ring from the shoe. To replace, afterinverting or rotating ring I I, it can be forced over the alreadystationary pilot I2, causing the ns I8 to yield inwardly until thegroove 20 permits the ns I8 to snap back out into said groove 20. Itwill be necessary to eliminate the sleeve I 9 and the flange 2| if thepilot is formed with an unyielding projection.

An important feature of this invention is the fact that the projectingangle of iin or projection I8 is nearer to the shoe heel I4 than thesimilar contour of the groove angle 20. Due to' this difference, it willbe clearly seen that the iin or projection angle I8 will rest on the oneside of the groove 20 that is nearest the shoe heel I4, thereby holdingthe ring I I firmly to the shoe heel I4.

When the entire edge of one face of the aforesaid ring II is partly orcompletely worn oil, and the ring II is inverted and again placed overthe already positioned pilot I2, the sleeve I 9 and ilange ZI willsustain the unworn face of the ring flange 22 to the level of a. newheel as no part of the ring flange 22 can sag beyond the sleeve :Gange2|.

The flanged sleeve I9 and 2I with its angular groove l2li as shown inFig. 3 can be made of two stampings and the flanges spot weldedtogether, or otherwise held, if desired. The pilot '.Fig. 2 can be adrawn and stamping job before tempering. When using an angularly groovedrubber ring without the sleeve I9 and the flange ZI, it will not benecessary forA the similarly angular projection from the wall of thepilot to be formed of yielding material. Thus, the complete assembly canbe made at a reasonable cost to the user, and besides; each of the twosides of this invertible heel aiiords four wearing segments, thussupplying eight times the wear of an ordinary shoe heel.

In view of the foregoing specification, I claim:

3 1. A ring shaped heel having an angular groove formedcircumferentially midway in its inner Wall and adapted to receive asimilarly angular projection or projections formed outside on the wallof a pilot attached to a shoe.

2. A heel as set forth in claim 1 in which said inner Wall is providedwith a lining or sleeve of rm material.

3. A heel asset forthin claim 1 in which said inner Wall .isprovidecl'with a lining or sleeve of rm material and said lining orsleeve has an external flange midway of its length.

JOHN H. BUECHLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

